What do you think?
Rate this book
The Big Store: Inside the Crisis and Revolution at Sears
Recounts how the Sears, Roebuck, and Company came back from the brink of ruin and transformed itself into the corporation of the future
640 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 1987
46 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Donald R. Katz
10 books11 followersDonald Katz is the author of "Home Fires," which was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award, "The Big Store: Inside the Crisis and Revolution at Sears," winner of the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, and "Just Do It: The Nike Spirit in the Corporate World." His most recent book, "The King of the Ferret Leggers and Other True Stories," was recently published by AtRandom.com. He is a contributing editor for "Rolling Stone" and has been a contributor to "The New Republic, Esquire, Outside, Sports Illustrated," and "Men's Journal." His work has won and been nominated for several National Magazine Awards. Katz is the founder of Audible, Inc. the leading Internet provider of spoken-word audio.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
February 19, 2019
2.5 stars. (This rating is rounded up to 3 rather than down to 2 because I’m incredibly annoyed to see that some people have left reviews or added this book with descriptions of their experiences at Sears stores that are so completely irrelevant I find it baffling that someone thought to mention that on this platform.)
On to a review: This book was simultaneously interesting and boring, if that is at all possible. The subject matter, the rise and fall of Sears, is interesting, but the writing really seems to have let it down, in my opinion.
For starters, with the amount of genuine content in this book, Katz did not need 600+ pages/30+ hours. You could have easily done this book in 300 pages and fit every ounce of relevant content that Katz found. This book felt heavy on fluffy, repetitive filler description, and maybe that was intentionally. It gave the book the same redundant, overgrown vibe that Sears had, but it was just not a good stylistic choice. He could have made this into a far more concise work and given a clearer picture of Sears if he had.
Ideally a picture with a better structure, this book jumped around much more than felt necessary. The number of times he was talking about Sears in the 80s and made a sudden swerve to give more fluffy, irrelevant description of the glory days of 60s Sears was ridiculous. We all got the picture the first twelve times you described it.
As a final point only relevant to the audiobook, I’m never listening to anything read by that guy again. I have never heard someone else hired to read an audiobook be so boringly monotone that I was worried to play it on my drive home for fear of falling asleep at the wheel. Granted, the writing was boring and repetitive too, but you could have at least hired someone to read it who wasn’t going to exaggerate the problem.
Overall, this book was an interesting topic almost ruined by a bad audiobook and bad writing. If you’re really interested in Sears, I’d recommend it (only in paperback form, not the audiobook), but if you’re just a passerby looking for a good read, pass on this on.
On to a review: This book was simultaneously interesting and boring, if that is at all possible. The subject matter, the rise and fall of Sears, is interesting, but the writing really seems to have let it down, in my opinion.
For starters, with the amount of genuine content in this book, Katz did not need 600+ pages/30+ hours. You could have easily done this book in 300 pages and fit every ounce of relevant content that Katz found. This book felt heavy on fluffy, repetitive filler description, and maybe that was intentionally. It gave the book the same redundant, overgrown vibe that Sears had, but it was just not a good stylistic choice. He could have made this into a far more concise work and given a clearer picture of Sears if he had.
Ideally a picture with a better structure, this book jumped around much more than felt necessary. The number of times he was talking about Sears in the 80s and made a sudden swerve to give more fluffy, irrelevant description of the glory days of 60s Sears was ridiculous. We all got the picture the first twelve times you described it.
As a final point only relevant to the audiobook, I’m never listening to anything read by that guy again. I have never heard someone else hired to read an audiobook be so boringly monotone that I was worried to play it on my drive home for fear of falling asleep at the wheel. Granted, the writing was boring and repetitive too, but you could have at least hired someone to read it who wasn’t going to exaggerate the problem.
Overall, this book was an interesting topic almost ruined by a bad audiobook and bad writing. If you’re really interested in Sears, I’d recommend it (only in paperback form, not the audiobook), but if you’re just a passerby looking for a good read, pass on this on.
maybe-read
December 16, 2018So, this was an Audible freebie, but I'm not sure if I'll read it. Aside from it being ridiculously long, I have a very strong dislike of Sears. We've had a terrible experience with them this year. Long story short, we bought several appliances from them which all broke down within a year and a half and their customer service was the worst I've ever dealt with. We had no fridge for 4 months due to their lack of support and ability and even after being repaired neither my fridge nor my oven work properly. They currently sell junk and have a terrible reputation, so the whole "revolution" part of this book really bothers me. I feel like they've gone considerably downhill and I'm not sure I want to read a book about a comeback that no longer seems to fit the company.
November 11, 2022
Vaguely interesting but not something I cared to read all 640 pages of 😂
March 6, 2008
I loved this book. You wouldn't think a book about management at Sears would even be readable, but before it's over, he's got you thinking of the managers of each store as captains of ships sailing across the prairies, battling storms and brigands...okay, I'm taking this too far, but I swear, it's really good.
July 17, 2024
Previously, I wrote about my interest in the story of Sears (see blog post: https://www.pointingatstuff.com/2024/...). Having been born myself at the tail end of this massive corporation’s lifespan, in its home city, I was aware of the existence of Sears, with its massive headquarters, the word’s tallest building, towering over the city and even visible on my bus ride to school many miles outside of downtown. Much like the previous run-on sentence, Sears clung to life for decades beyond its best by date before finally sputtering out of life. New technologies and modern shopping habits fueled by cheap goods resulting from globalization changed consumer habits and ultimately Sears was not able to adapt quickly enough with the times to survive. Ultimately, Sears was a beneficiary of prosperous years and massive growth in the American economy (from my notes: Growth in the post-WW2 era was rapid as they opened stores everywhere. Employees were loyal and well compensated. The company was seen as a safe place to work for military and country-boy types. FDR said we should drop Sears catalogs over the Soviet Union to show them the benefits of capitalism). In many ways, Sears represented the best America had to offer at the time.
As the tides changed, the structures of Sears became dated and out-of-sync with corporate America. The government eventually came after the company for unfair hiring practices (from my notes: Autonomy to local managers was innovative at first but eventually was scrutinized by the government for discriminative hiring practices. The managers were like warlords ruling over their regions with assistants and assistants to the assistants. Tudor: The ideal Sears employee was a man from a small Midwest town that understood authority. (Board of directors in 1975). They were late to embracing computers).
At the peak of their power, Sears leadership couldn’t see the ways in which their massive business could fail. They decided it was justified to erect the tallest tower in the world and fill it with employees to direct their ever-growing company. Insiders called the Sears Tower “Gordon Metcalf’s last erection” as doubt grew inside the company that it would be able to fill the entire building by the end of the century, as was planned. Before the Sears Tower, many customers around the country had no idea where Sears was based and just assumed it was somewhere near them. The Tower became a symbol with negative connotation. In my opinion, the fall of Sears came about largely due to a lowering economic tide and inability to adapt quickly to a changing society.
All of this information was incredibly well reported in Katz’s book The Big Store. What led me to read his in-depth and thorough re-telling of Sears was my curiosity in how one company came to own or control so many other famous American brands (Allstate, Dean Witter, Coldwell Banker, Discover Card, Kenmore, DieHard, Craftsman, Kmart). Perhaps to be expected, a company as large and complex as Sears was compelled Katz to write a book equally as labyrinthian. Katz was given incredible access and is clearly well-versed in business details (he went on to become a corporate CEO himself). However, while this book is great at telling the business side of the Sears story, it largely fails at forming a compelling character-driven narrative that withstands changing dynamics of our society to remain a critical read for audiences of this generation, unfamiliar with Sears.
While The Big Store is a great book covering a specific period of time in corporate America, that age is well over and the lessons learned from it mostly no longer apply. While I’m not here to claim the task an easy one, I do feel there is more of a story to tell with Sears, one that may better connect to rising inequality (Sears was a store built for the middle class, therefor lost its customer base!), the financial-engineering of corporate America (Sears was a pioneer in consumer credit and later merged with multiple financial institutions to try and keep the engine running…and eventually picked to pieces by investor Eddie Lampert, which this book doesn’t delve into), and the globalized world we find ourselves living in today (cheap shit from China… the rise of Walmart and the Dollar chains).
Long story short: this is a well-researched and solid book overall but a great book about a very specific thing which most people will have little to no interest in. It had the potential to be a great and timeless book had the author decided to think bigger and connect the narratives to a changing world. Likely, these changes only became apparent in later years, but I do think this story is still one deserving of a better telling.
[author’s note: the most notable and compelling character in the book is the chairman Ed Telling who was in control of the company from the late 70’s through the mid 80’s. This is why the final sentence of this review deserves a polite chuckle and/or a roll of the eyes.]
As the tides changed, the structures of Sears became dated and out-of-sync with corporate America. The government eventually came after the company for unfair hiring practices (from my notes: Autonomy to local managers was innovative at first but eventually was scrutinized by the government for discriminative hiring practices. The managers were like warlords ruling over their regions with assistants and assistants to the assistants. Tudor: The ideal Sears employee was a man from a small Midwest town that understood authority. (Board of directors in 1975). They were late to embracing computers).
At the peak of their power, Sears leadership couldn’t see the ways in which their massive business could fail. They decided it was justified to erect the tallest tower in the world and fill it with employees to direct their ever-growing company. Insiders called the Sears Tower “Gordon Metcalf’s last erection” as doubt grew inside the company that it would be able to fill the entire building by the end of the century, as was planned. Before the Sears Tower, many customers around the country had no idea where Sears was based and just assumed it was somewhere near them. The Tower became a symbol with negative connotation. In my opinion, the fall of Sears came about largely due to a lowering economic tide and inability to adapt quickly to a changing society.
All of this information was incredibly well reported in Katz’s book The Big Store. What led me to read his in-depth and thorough re-telling of Sears was my curiosity in how one company came to own or control so many other famous American brands (Allstate, Dean Witter, Coldwell Banker, Discover Card, Kenmore, DieHard, Craftsman, Kmart). Perhaps to be expected, a company as large and complex as Sears was compelled Katz to write a book equally as labyrinthian. Katz was given incredible access and is clearly well-versed in business details (he went on to become a corporate CEO himself). However, while this book is great at telling the business side of the Sears story, it largely fails at forming a compelling character-driven narrative that withstands changing dynamics of our society to remain a critical read for audiences of this generation, unfamiliar with Sears.
While The Big Store is a great book covering a specific period of time in corporate America, that age is well over and the lessons learned from it mostly no longer apply. While I’m not here to claim the task an easy one, I do feel there is more of a story to tell with Sears, one that may better connect to rising inequality (Sears was a store built for the middle class, therefor lost its customer base!), the financial-engineering of corporate America (Sears was a pioneer in consumer credit and later merged with multiple financial institutions to try and keep the engine running…and eventually picked to pieces by investor Eddie Lampert, which this book doesn’t delve into), and the globalized world we find ourselves living in today (cheap shit from China… the rise of Walmart and the Dollar chains).
Long story short: this is a well-researched and solid book overall but a great book about a very specific thing which most people will have little to no interest in. It had the potential to be a great and timeless book had the author decided to think bigger and connect the narratives to a changing world. Likely, these changes only became apparent in later years, but I do think this story is still one deserving of a better telling.
[author’s note: the most notable and compelling character in the book is the chairman Ed Telling who was in control of the company from the late 70’s through the mid 80’s. This is why the final sentence of this review deserves a polite chuckle and/or a roll of the eyes.]
June 27, 2020
I spent 15 minutes searching THE BIG BOOK by Donald Katz before I came to my senses. The Big Store: Inside the Crisis and Revolution at Sears is a very big book though at 604 pages, and after childhood of Sears catalogs called The Big Book, I think I will forgive myself.
There has been a Sears store in every place I've lived, even in the smallest of towns where it was a catalog shop. Sears was my first credit card barely out of high school and our first refrigerator, washer and dryer when we first bought a house. I remember the old Birmingham, Alabama Sears store, downtown across from Big Boy - was there a towering Big Boy there or is that just a fiction of recall? That Sears store in 1982 was low, aqua colored and pretty run down, just a tire store by then but nevertheless, where I always got my tires. The big new Sears store over the mountain in Hoover was spectacular and that's where I got my first hammer and a Craftsman drill that lasted until just this year.
Later Sears picked up K-Mart to fill in the bottom layer of buyers - for cheap goods. But remember K-Mart is where Martha Stewart started her rehabilitation to celebrity and Martha's 100% cotton sheets were heaven and affordable. My K-Mart tableware is stainless steel, with a beautiful heavy feel in the hand - the set is still complete and used daily for almost 50 years. And I always loved Basic Editions shirts and pants -- one of Sears' mantras was "basic, basic" to describe its everyday quality, variety and price-right merchandise. Comfortable and durable, Basic Editions have always been good enough for me. As K-Marts closed throughout the country I mourned the loss of each one in my region.
Sears filed for chapter 11 protection in 2018 and today the Sears stores in Hoover, Alabama and Medford, Oregon are shuttered. What with the coronavirus, market analysts suggest that the 25 stores that have reopened are at risk. I can still order appliances on the website, Sears.com but Basic Editions clothing is only on the used market now.
It was an honor and a pleasure to read of Ed Telling's instinctive vision to unite a labyrinth of retail sites and merchants. Telling re-created Sears as one store and at the same time expanded Sears' business lines to include real estate, credit and other financial services. It was amazing to have some understanding of Ed Brennan's strategy, personality and hard hard work to get all of that done. To call Sears a store, even one of such leviathan size and complexity, is to understate its role in America's cultural and economic history.
So thanks to Katz, I sort of know how Sears started out in 1886, the years since and what happened at Sears from January 1, 1978 when Ed Telling emerged from the ranks as chairman and CEO and January 1, 1986 when he retired and Ed Brennan succeeded him in the role. The Big Store is a nearly day-by-day, blow-by-blow account of those nine years, mirroring or leading US financial policies, politics, fashion trends and economics and coming out on top. Again.
I'm so curious to know the inside of what happened next.
There has been a Sears store in every place I've lived, even in the smallest of towns where it was a catalog shop. Sears was my first credit card barely out of high school and our first refrigerator, washer and dryer when we first bought a house. I remember the old Birmingham, Alabama Sears store, downtown across from Big Boy - was there a towering Big Boy there or is that just a fiction of recall? That Sears store in 1982 was low, aqua colored and pretty run down, just a tire store by then but nevertheless, where I always got my tires. The big new Sears store over the mountain in Hoover was spectacular and that's where I got my first hammer and a Craftsman drill that lasted until just this year.
Later Sears picked up K-Mart to fill in the bottom layer of buyers - for cheap goods. But remember K-Mart is where Martha Stewart started her rehabilitation to celebrity and Martha's 100% cotton sheets were heaven and affordable. My K-Mart tableware is stainless steel, with a beautiful heavy feel in the hand - the set is still complete and used daily for almost 50 years. And I always loved Basic Editions shirts and pants -- one of Sears' mantras was "basic, basic" to describe its everyday quality, variety and price-right merchandise. Comfortable and durable, Basic Editions have always been good enough for me. As K-Marts closed throughout the country I mourned the loss of each one in my region.
Sears filed for chapter 11 protection in 2018 and today the Sears stores in Hoover, Alabama and Medford, Oregon are shuttered. What with the coronavirus, market analysts suggest that the 25 stores that have reopened are at risk. I can still order appliances on the website, Sears.com but Basic Editions clothing is only on the used market now.
It was an honor and a pleasure to read of Ed Telling's instinctive vision to unite a labyrinth of retail sites and merchants. Telling re-created Sears as one store and at the same time expanded Sears' business lines to include real estate, credit and other financial services. It was amazing to have some understanding of Ed Brennan's strategy, personality and hard hard work to get all of that done. To call Sears a store, even one of such leviathan size and complexity, is to understate its role in America's cultural and economic history.
So thanks to Katz, I sort of know how Sears started out in 1886, the years since and what happened at Sears from January 1, 1978 when Ed Telling emerged from the ranks as chairman and CEO and January 1, 1986 when he retired and Ed Brennan succeeded him in the role. The Big Store is a nearly day-by-day, blow-by-blow account of those nine years, mirroring or leading US financial policies, politics, fashion trends and economics and coming out on top. Again.
I'm so curious to know the inside of what happened next.
May 9, 2021
Title: The Big Store
Author: Donald Katz
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s a chronicle of the mighty Sears, Roebuck and Company, an american retail giant with 19th-century roots as a mail-order business operating in rural America. Sears grew into one of the nation’s largest corporations, redefining the American shopping experience in the process. Its 130-year history embodies the rise and fall of American consumer culture and with it a host of business lessons.
While this one is a long and arduous read, it does have a few fruitful lessons which make it worthwhile for a manager who aims for business and culture growth in their company. Mentioned below are a few:
1. Decentralisation with a touch of centralised context, similar to what Netflix does today is what works best. Integral for company wide agenda alignment, ensuring micromanaging doesn’t become a habit, and a great place for helping people achieve their 100% potential.
2. Company culture is more important than bottom line- In a business so vast and old, slice of company culture is what makes a perfect cocktail. Brenon’s comeback to the a hint of old ways with this growth plan help Sears drink the Bloody Mary post 1980’s.
3. Consumer Needspace is the answer to growth hypothesis- Venturing into consumer credit, mortgages and stock trading was an answer to long term potential merged with consumer needs for horizontal expansion led growth.
4. Anger is an emotion one must keep out while doing negotiations- The story showcase a skilled negotiator Rod Hills who used his negotiating skills with logic and emotion excluding Anger, as ego is not the answer to getting the job done when it comes to a mutual beneficial decision.
5. Firing is not always the answer- if business needs it, but culture doesn’t allow it. Maybe there is a graceful way to make your long term employee happy with a minuscule dent on operating expenses. Eg ERIP
#bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #businessbooks #bookrecommendations #learning #growthmindset #instareads #businessstrategy #companyculture #sears
Author: Donald Katz
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
It’s a chronicle of the mighty Sears, Roebuck and Company, an american retail giant with 19th-century roots as a mail-order business operating in rural America. Sears grew into one of the nation’s largest corporations, redefining the American shopping experience in the process. Its 130-year history embodies the rise and fall of American consumer culture and with it a host of business lessons.
While this one is a long and arduous read, it does have a few fruitful lessons which make it worthwhile for a manager who aims for business and culture growth in their company. Mentioned below are a few:
1. Decentralisation with a touch of centralised context, similar to what Netflix does today is what works best. Integral for company wide agenda alignment, ensuring micromanaging doesn’t become a habit, and a great place for helping people achieve their 100% potential.
2. Company culture is more important than bottom line- In a business so vast and old, slice of company culture is what makes a perfect cocktail. Brenon’s comeback to the a hint of old ways with this growth plan help Sears drink the Bloody Mary post 1980’s.
3. Consumer Needspace is the answer to growth hypothesis- Venturing into consumer credit, mortgages and stock trading was an answer to long term potential merged with consumer needs for horizontal expansion led growth.
4. Anger is an emotion one must keep out while doing negotiations- The story showcase a skilled negotiator Rod Hills who used his negotiating skills with logic and emotion excluding Anger, as ego is not the answer to getting the job done when it comes to a mutual beneficial decision.
5. Firing is not always the answer- if business needs it, but culture doesn’t allow it. Maybe there is a graceful way to make your long term employee happy with a minuscule dent on operating expenses. Eg ERIP
#bookreview #bookstagram #booklover #businessbooks #bookrecommendations #learning #growthmindset #instareads #businessstrategy #companyculture #sears
July 27, 2025
This one is mostly on me. I grabbed this in audiobook form because it was on an Audible monthly list at some point.
My lack of research and personal knowledge came back to bite me on this one.
I assumed it was written more recently, not essentially a rerelease of a book written in the 80s. This is very important because it changes the whole assumed premise of the book. (Again, my bad.)
For whatever reason, I envisioned a writ large examination of the end of the department store, mall culture, et al.
Of course, this is quite the opposite.
It’s basically corporate rich guy back patting. Very insular and Sears navel gazing to the nth degree. I’m not sure why you would care if you’re not a business insider.
I always finish the books I start, but this quickly became the most passive listening experience I’ve probably ever had. I’d listen in the shower or making lunch, without really minding if I missed small chunks.
In hindsight, a tiny part of me does it find it odd that Audible would recommend such a dry business treatise, especially given who wrote it. Just a passing thought, and I still love them, but it did pop into my mind.
Again, this mistake was 98 percent on me, but maybe by writing this mea culpa I can save at least one other person the time and trouble
My lack of research and personal knowledge came back to bite me on this one.
I assumed it was written more recently, not essentially a rerelease of a book written in the 80s. This is very important because it changes the whole assumed premise of the book. (Again, my bad.)
For whatever reason, I envisioned a writ large examination of the end of the department store, mall culture, et al.
Of course, this is quite the opposite.
It’s basically corporate rich guy back patting. Very insular and Sears navel gazing to the nth degree. I’m not sure why you would care if you’re not a business insider.
I always finish the books I start, but this quickly became the most passive listening experience I’ve probably ever had. I’d listen in the shower or making lunch, without really minding if I missed small chunks.
In hindsight, a tiny part of me does it find it odd that Audible would recommend such a dry business treatise, especially given who wrote it. Just a passing thought, and I still love them, but it did pop into my mind.
Again, this mistake was 98 percent on me, but maybe by writing this mea culpa I can save at least one other person the time and trouble
July 6, 2020
This book was fascinating on so many levels! It always amazes me to see American ingenuity at work, where drive, competition and vision fire what and how people turn their dreams into reality. Then, there are the human aspects—foibles & quirks, prejudices & blind spots, that ultimately impact and influence the course of events in the most unforeseen and unexpected ways.
I liked reading about an era with which I am somewhat familiar. I remember the Cheryl Tiegs heyday and when almost everyone in my family owned a Schwinn bike—courtesy of the growth Sears afforded that bicycle maker and countless other entrepreneurs all across the country. I also chuckled at the anecdote from earlier in the century, when Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed littering Stalin's Russia from the air with Sears & Roebuck catalogs so they could see of the benefits of freedom and capitalism. (Reminded me of our current entrepreneurial President's attempt at showing the N. Korean dictator how beautiful his country and coastline could be with freedom and development!)
I recommend this book as an inside look into a company that shaped so many American lives and which grew from at one time selling live baby chicks to being viewed as unable to fail.
I liked reading about an era with which I am somewhat familiar. I remember the Cheryl Tiegs heyday and when almost everyone in my family owned a Schwinn bike—courtesy of the growth Sears afforded that bicycle maker and countless other entrepreneurs all across the country. I also chuckled at the anecdote from earlier in the century, when Franklin D. Roosevelt proposed littering Stalin's Russia from the air with Sears & Roebuck catalogs so they could see of the benefits of freedom and capitalism. (Reminded me of our current entrepreneurial President's attempt at showing the N. Korean dictator how beautiful his country and coastline could be with freedom and development!)
I recommend this book as an inside look into a company that shaped so many American lives and which grew from at one time selling live baby chicks to being viewed as unable to fail.
January 31, 2019
Katz writes about the revolution that occurred in Sears, Roebuck in 1977-1983. A new chairman, Ed Telling, undertook to tear down the then-current decentralized retail structure, replacing it with a highly centralized, computerized infrastructure that eventually drew all decision-making into the Sears Tower in Chicago. Along the way, they shed many levels of old-school managers, and took the company from near-bankruptcy to a veritable cash-minting machine. About 10 years following the book's publication, Sears merged with Kmart, investment in the stores and new types of inventory faltered, and, after selling off all the valuable properties (Craftsman tools, Lands' End, Discover Card, and many more) we find Sears today again on the brink of bankruptcy, from which it will likely not return again. Better than any of the so-called business books you'll find in the weekly-changing set at airport kiosks, this story shows how businesses truly change: not through catchy slogans or decision-making templates, but because a small group of people agree on a vision of where the business should go, and work tirelessly to bring that vision into being.
March 17, 2024
Long but fascinating book about the history of the Dept Store chain, Sears. At one time, it was the Amazon of the United States, but then it failed. The book is the story about why it failed, but it is more than that. You learn how a big corporation can make mistakes. They seem so invincible but they are one or two bad decisions away from going down. Think how impossible it seems that Amazon would ever fail. Or Apple. But, then think how Tesla seemed that way at one time and now it is possible to see cracks in Tesla. And X, formerly Twitter. Big corporations dominate our culture, but, at one time, it was Sears and no one else was even in second place. And, yet, today it is hard to even find a Sears store or the Sears name anywhere.
The book is also an interesting history of the United States over much of the 20th Century that was also well told.
The author, Donald Katz, started Audible which is how I listened to this book. Then, Amazon bought Audible, but Mr. Katz still runs the company I believe. Just a fun if, in the end, sad book about the failure of a company that seemed "too big to (ever) fail."
The book is also an interesting history of the United States over much of the 20th Century that was also well told.
The author, Donald Katz, started Audible which is how I listened to this book. Then, Amazon bought Audible, but Mr. Katz still runs the company I believe. Just a fun if, in the end, sad book about the failure of a company that seemed "too big to (ever) fail."
December 6, 2020
- Things change constantly. Something that worked well before will inevitably fail later. Adapt, or die
- When a company gets to a certain size, Decentralized management wouldn't work anymore. There's a time and place for every management style
- Innate ability is real and must be respected: it's fat better to find a talented person with work ethic than a less talented person with even more worth ethic
- When a company is so successful, it's usually their demise because they tend to fail to see their competitor - while sometimes still small - growing at a rapid pace
- Habits are hard to change. A company that's so embodied in tradition will fail inevitably: its far better to jump ship before such ship sinks
- When a company gets to a certain size, Decentralized management wouldn't work anymore. There's a time and place for every management style
- Innate ability is real and must be respected: it's fat better to find a talented person with work ethic than a less talented person with even more worth ethic
- When a company is so successful, it's usually their demise because they tend to fail to see their competitor - while sometimes still small - growing at a rapid pace
- Habits are hard to change. A company that's so embodied in tradition will fail inevitably: its far better to jump ship before such ship sinks
May 2, 2023
Really insightful and entertaining as a way to see the inner-work of big corporations. Of course, it was written as a praise to Sears 'turnaround', while in retrospect most decisions taken during the decade covered precipitated the downfall of the company (far-fetched diversification, top-down management, missed opportunities with technology, etc), but it's still a great business book, possibly even better as it can now be analyzed as counter-examples to a healthy, modern management.
I love the writing style of the author, although there's probably way too much information. You could probably cut the number of pages in half and retain the reader's attention better. I like the flood of details and insights, but sometimes there were lengthy unnecessary diversions.
I love the writing style of the author, although there's probably way too much information. You could probably cut the number of pages in half and retain the reader's attention better. I like the flood of details and insights, but sometimes there were lengthy unnecessary diversions.
February 27, 2019
This book is one of the best books detailing the inner workings - fears, aspirations, strategy, tactics, people - of a big company. The book is set at an interesting time in Sears and it is a unique chronicle of events at one of the biggest companies of yesteryears. The book is a must read for people who are interested in business, organisations and change. The sheer volatility that Sears saw and how the company managed it, makes it an amazing read. The unique position of the author watching and writing this book makes it a really valuable resource for people who are interested in business history. I absolutely loved the book.
January 8, 2019
I have no interest in business or books about commerce and business culture, but I needed a business book for a reading challenge. Learning that this title was available from Audible for free, I gave it a try. 30 listening hours later, I realized that I had enjoyed this book. I think part of the enjoyment was because I could think back to a particular year and I would recognize what was being described - the dominance of Winnie the Pooh merchandise when I was a child, the change to more "glitzy" merchandise in the 80s, etc. It gave the story a feeling of nostalgia in a way.
February 23, 2020
While reading this dense, long book, I kept feeling like I was caught amidst trees, trees, trees, but had little sense of the forest. The story focuses on just one brief period in the long history of Sears — from the mid-1970s to early 1980s — but is so detailed it feels almost like a day-to-day account. Yes, it is a fascinating story but it’s also dated. From today’s perspective, I’d prefer an account that puts this period into a stronger context of the company’s overall history.
April 7, 2022
My only enjoyment pf this book came from the schadenfrude that the privlaged, white, rich men who were so proud of "saving" sears by aquiring more successful companies, looting the assets, and destroying the livelhood of the peopkle who worked there would live to see the company go bankrupt and enter final bankruptcy. And the unintentional humor of an author who thought he was documenting a tiumphant turnaround not the last swan song of a doomed retailer.
November 11, 2019
I found it fascinating , the story of how Sears came to be and how it grew and all its growing pains. Lots about the executives I wasn't as interested in, but all the info that came with them was so worth the listen. I learned so much about the giant Sears.!!
December 25, 2020
If you’re interested in retail companies there may be some nice curiosities about the market and the suppliers and clients motivations. Beside they it’s very long and tiresome. Not a grate storytelling or intrigue. Some of the characters are quite random
January 22, 2021
Too bad this is so dated. Loved Sears as a kid and watched it change and eventually fail. This deep look into the corporate culture stops in the late 80’s, when it seemed like Sears would survive. I wished for “the rest of the story...” after investing so much time in the book.
February 28, 2021
Just finished this incredibly long audible book about the history of Sears It was excellent, but could have used shortening. It took me more than a year to listen to, engaging on and off. But I finished it tonight!
July 13, 2024
The level of access given to the author over the course of several years to a major (at the time) corporation is unprecedented. However, the resulting 600 pages is almost too detailed to be thoroughly interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 24, 2019
A must-read if you've ever worked at Sears. Otherwise, it seems a bit too long.
February 19, 2019
Really in-depth writing about Sears in the mid-80"s. I was hoping to get a better idea of how such a behemoth of a company could fall so far.
June 10, 2020
way way way way way too long
January 12, 2021
I never knew I wanted to read a book about Sears and corporate America, but I sure loved the hell out of this book.
July 18, 2011
OMG that was a long book. I read it on Kindle, I can only imagine how big the printed version is. This book was interesting from the perspective of major upheaval at a long-standing institution, but probably would have been more meaningful if I was old enough to know the "old" Sears.
highlights and notes https://kindle.amazon.com/profile/Eri...
highlights and notes https://kindle.amazon.com/profile/Eri...
February 25, 2024
Good retail history
A very good book, but long. I think you have to have a background in retailing to really appreciate it. One part dragged, in the early part of the financial business, but otherwise kept my attention. Listened at 1.5 speed, it would have unbearable at 1.0.
A very good book, but long. I think you have to have a background in retailing to really appreciate it. One part dragged, in the early part of the financial business, but otherwise kept my attention. Listened at 1.5 speed, it would have unbearable at 1.0.
February 11, 2019
The Big Store- Inside the Crisis and Revolution at Sears
Published in 1988, this book tracked the beginning to ‘middle end’ of the Sears story. It is a nice little time capsule. The Author, Donald Katz (Audible Founder/CEO) recently rereleased the book with an updated foreword that touches lightly on the post ‘88 years and changes. At the time of this writing, the Audible version was free to all, even those (such as me) who are not Audible subscribers.
At the beginning, Sears had a winning playbook. Stacking its personnel via the loyalty of military servicemen returning home, Sears built a permanent workforce and a brought in nearly 1% of the US national GDP. Through breakdowns in management, distributing regional propriety over all decisions, and ignorant disregard for competition; the market ownership toppled.
The Big Store details the cowboy behavior of the Sears management and uses no less than three references to ‘Son-of-a-Bitches’ in the 600 pages. Management success is outlined and measured by the number of open-heart surgeries and frequency of steak dinners.
The text in this book is fairly well balanced regarding finger pointing and success. It tries hard to come across Chummy, as if it’s knowledge was direct from the boardroom and translated straight from lips to page. Interestingly, this same chumminess was what allowed narrator Brian Sutherland to excel. He playfully spoke through the text and applied minor character inflection when differences in conversation occured.
Worth listening to, if nothing else to understand the background and history that lead up to the current round of Sear bankruptcy processes.
Published in 1988, this book tracked the beginning to ‘middle end’ of the Sears story. It is a nice little time capsule. The Author, Donald Katz (Audible Founder/CEO) recently rereleased the book with an updated foreword that touches lightly on the post ‘88 years and changes. At the time of this writing, the Audible version was free to all, even those (such as me) who are not Audible subscribers.
At the beginning, Sears had a winning playbook. Stacking its personnel via the loyalty of military servicemen returning home, Sears built a permanent workforce and a brought in nearly 1% of the US national GDP. Through breakdowns in management, distributing regional propriety over all decisions, and ignorant disregard for competition; the market ownership toppled.
The Big Store details the cowboy behavior of the Sears management and uses no less than three references to ‘Son-of-a-Bitches’ in the 600 pages. Management success is outlined and measured by the number of open-heart surgeries and frequency of steak dinners.
The text in this book is fairly well balanced regarding finger pointing and success. It tries hard to come across Chummy, as if it’s knowledge was direct from the boardroom and translated straight from lips to page. Interestingly, this same chumminess was what allowed narrator Brian Sutherland to excel. He playfully spoke through the text and applied minor character inflection when differences in conversation occured.
Worth listening to, if nothing else to understand the background and history that lead up to the current round of Sear bankruptcy processes.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews